In pediatric emergency departments, blood draws are often used as part of routine medical evaluation in behavioral health assessments. But new research from Dylan Hurley, MPH, MAB, (DO 鈥�28), a doctor of osteopathic medicine student at 黑料传送门 Georgia, suggests they rarely change patient care.
In a review of 209 cases involving children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presenting with behavioral health concerns, clinically significant findings鈥攖hose that altered treatment鈥攐ccurred in less than one percent of cases. The study, 鈥�,鈥� examines whether routine laboratory testing meaningfully contributes to clinical decision-making. It was published in the February 2026 edition of Pediatric Emergency Care.
As an emergency department technician at a hospital in Atlanta, Hurley saw children鈥攎any of them returning patients鈥攎ove through the same protocol: behavioral health intake, medical screening, blood draw.
鈥淭his study came out of what I was witnessing in the pediatric ER on a day-to-day basis,鈥� Hurley said. 鈥淚t raised the question that should push us all in medicine: why do we do what we do?鈥�
In many emergency departments, children presenting with behavioral or psychiatric concerns undergo laboratory testing as part of a medical clearance process before psychiatric admission with the intent of ruling out underlying medical causes. But Hurley鈥檚 study suggests those tests often offer little clinical value while introducing additional burdens鈥攑articularly for children with ASD.
For neurodivergent children, the emergency department can be an overwhelming environment. Bright lights and noise can heighten distress; procedures like blood draws can compound that experience. His findings point not only to limited clinical benefit, but also to broader implications鈥攄elays in care, increased costs, and the potential for retraumatization.
鈥淲e were taking this kid through the same process every time,鈥� Hurley said, recalling a patient who had visited the ER multiple times in a month. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 help but think about the stress we were creating.鈥�
Hurley鈥檚 approach is shaped in part by his background in bioethics. Before medical school, he earned master鈥檚 degrees in public health and bioethics from Emory University鈥攖raining that informed how he interpreted what he was seeing in the emergency department. He pointed to two principles that are particularly relevant: autonomy鈥攖he right to self-determination or free will鈥攁nd nonmaleficence, the obligation to do no harm.
鈥淲hen we restrain someone鈥攑hysically or chemically鈥攚e are taking away that aspect of autonomy,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd if we鈥檙e doing something that isn鈥檛 medically necessary and could be causing harm, then we have to reconsider that.鈥�
In the emergency department, those decisions often happen quickly, particularly for patients who may already be overstimulated or unable to communicate their needs. Despite national recommendations鈥攊ncluding to avoid routine laboratory testing unless clinically indicated鈥攖he practice persists.
In some hospital systems, routine screening labs have been phased out. In others, they remain embedded in protocols, tied to institutional policies, insurance requirements, or admission criteria at inpatient psychiatric facilities. The result is a fragmented system where care can vary significantly by location.
Hurley centered his study on children with ASD because of the unique challenges they face in emergency care settings. Some patients may be nonverbal, while others may express distress in ways that are misunderstood. Many experience extended waits in the emergency department while awaiting placement in inpatient facilities equipped to meet their needs鈥攈ighlighting both the human impact of system-level gaps and the need for targeted research.
For Hurley, the publication reflects the potential for translational research to influence clinical practice.
鈥淭his is where the rubber meets the road,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is how we make change at the bedside.鈥�
As an osteopathic medical student, Hurley sees the work as aligned with a whole-person approach to care鈥攐ne that considers not only clinical data, but the broader context of a patient鈥檚 experience. That perspective is also personal. After being diagnosed with epilepsy in college, he said he experienced firsthand what it feels like to not be fully heard within the healthcare system.
鈥淚 think this project is, in some ways, about giving a voice to patients who may not be able to advocate for themselves,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ealth is more than one dimension. It鈥檚 more than a blood draw.鈥�
Hurley hopes to pursue a career in pediatric emergency medicine at the intersection of clinical care, ethics and research. He also hopes his work encourages others to question established practices.
鈥淚f you see something and you鈥檙e asking, 鈥榃hy do we do this?鈥� That鈥檚 where it starts,鈥� he said.
黑料传送门 Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (黑料传送门), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), 黑料传送门 Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins 黑料传送门 South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, 黑料传送门 Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit .
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